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JIM CLANCY: In Iraq, there are many powerful forces
-- religious, ethnic and tribal. Their influence and
importance cannot be overlooked. Observers are
pointing to an announcement by more than two dozen
tribes who say that they're uniting against al-Qaeda
and other insurgents in their country. Let's get some
more on this development.
Michael Ware joins us now live from Baghdad.
Michael, how significant is all of this?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, this is
one of the key planks to the American success here
and exit strategy, is finding elements within Iraqi
society to empower and allow them to create the state
that would at least be neutral to, if not aligned
with the United States. The tribes are one of them.
What we saw today is an announcement by 20 sub-tribes
in al-Anbar province around Ramadi. This is not a
significant development, but it's notable. We had
seen this ongoing for the last 18 months to two
years. Even during the days of Fallujah -- where
al-Qaeda and the insurgency controlled the city
before the Marine invasion, November 2004, there was
a lot of factional fighting between al-Qaeda, the
local tribes and the local insurgency. They're not a
happy family.
American forces in Ramadi have been trying to empower
some of these sub-tribes. Limited success, but
certainly not overall success. This announcement
today is just a reflection of that, as is today's
suicide bombing on the Hariya police station, just
like the bombing on the Jazeera police station two or
three weeks ago. This is a direct attack on these
sub-tribes who are attempting to help the Americans
in Ramadi -- Jim.
CLANCY: All right, they're attempting to help the
Americans. They've been asking for arms from the
Iraqi government, from the Americans, whoever. What
kind of risks do these tribal leaders take? And are
they getting mixed signals in return?
WARE: Well, what we saw is back in January, for
example, many of the local tribes and many of the
local insurgent groups urged their youth to join the
police force as a hedge against what they say as
pro-Iranian power in Baghdad. Zarqawi's al-Qaeda
opposed this move, so sent in a chest-vest suicide
bomber to the recruitment day, killing dozens. And
then there was a wave of assassinations of seven
tribal sheikhs.
We've seen a similar cycle recently, because of,
again, renewed police recruitment in Ramadi. So the
risks are great, but they're getting mixed signals
from Americans. American commanders on the ground
attempt to empower these tribes in Ramadi, yet in
Baghdad they see America installing a pro-Iranian
government as they see it. So they're saying, well,
we have no choice. On the ground, you're doing one
thing, but in Baghdad you do another; you're herding
us toward al-Qaeda -- Jim.
CLANCY: Michael, very quickly, what role -- the
Baathists, we don't hear about them. What role do
they have right now then?
WARE: This is a parallel track, Jim, with the tribes.
When we talk about the tribes, often we're talking
about the Baathists. American military intelligence
has been in secret negotiations with the Baathists
for 18 months on this very point, trying to drive a
wedge between them and al-Qaeda, just like they're
trying to do with the tribes. There's similar lack of
success, in that the Baathists are now saying, you've
left us very little choice, and there also
gravitating toward al-Qaeda -- Jim.
CLANCY: All right, Michael Ware, talking to us there
live from Baghdad. As always, Michael, thank
you.